


Painlessly

by xxNoName223



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ben Solo Deserved Better, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Episode Fix-it, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Force Bond (Star Wars), I Will Go Down With This Ship, Movie: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, OTP Feels, Post-Canon, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Prince Ben Solo, Protective Ben Solo, Redeemed Ben Solo, Reylo - Freeform, Reylo-Freeform, Sad with a Happy Ending, Soft Ben Solo, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:01:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21869461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxNoName223/pseuds/xxNoName223
Summary: (post-TROS) (if you haven't seen yet, don't read)
Relationships: Kylo Ren & Rey, Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Reylo
Comments: 5
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

The voices of all the Jedi were drowned out by the irregular drum of her heartbeat pounding in her ears. She gazed around the wreckage, filled with an unusual peace, and allowed herself to finally crumple to the ground. 

Rey was cold. It wasn't the bitter cold she was accustomed to from the harsh desert nights on Jakku. 

No, this was something else. She felt the warm pool of force slowly bleeding out, trickling into the ground beneath her. 

Visions danced in her head; her parents, Finn, Han and Leia, Master Luke, the Resistance, and finally... him.

A small flicker of warmth returned to her chest at his thought. If his was the final image burned into her mind, she would be okay with it.

Rey was proud of Ben Solo and how much he had healed since she first met him just over a year ago.

It was hard to believe that only a year and a half ago, she was still just a scavenger longing for her parents in the middle of nowhere.

She had found a family and found happiness with her Resistance since then.

And yet while the Resistance provided her with a place to call home, she couldn't help but feel that the home she had been desperately searching for all this time had been with him.

Fondly, she recalled the first time she was truly aware of her force abilities- when Kylo Ren interrogated her. She had followed the thread of her power straight into his mind and she had never left since.

Except now. Every moment that passed, he felt further away. 

She had forgotten just how lonely it was without his constant poke at the edge of her mind. Rey didn't realize the extent of their bond until her life was slowly draining away under the electric blue sky.

It was the same blue that crackled around Ben's messy dark hair when he showed up to her rescue. Right when she'd been ready to give in to the darkness, he spoke to her through their bond.

She had expected him to praise her for finally letting go, for accepting herself as she was. But instead, his words were silent whispers of the light. Encouragement, assurance, and even... love?

Whatever it was, he gave her the strength to fight by his side.

And when she finally locked eyes with a redeemed Ben Solo across Palpatine's throne room, she knew she was right where she belonged.

All along her heart knew he could overcome Kylo Ren and be the man he was always meant to be. 

When he looked at her, eyes full of all the explanations they never had the courage to admit before, there were no Sith worshippers, no Palpatine.

Just them.

His eyes were focused on her alone and she had felt so vulnerable in that moment.

Though when had she ever _not_ felt vulnerable around him? He knew her more intimately than even Finn.

He was the only one who understood what it was like to be feared by the people closest to you, who understood the isolation the force brings.

Instead of letting her face it by herself, he guided her through her own isolation, assuring her that she wasn't alone.

Rey was no fool, she knew that theirs was a bond like no other. And maybe that's why she still tried to cling on to the consciousness of life, pretending she would be able to overcome her physical wounds by sheer willpower alone. 

And then, it struck her.

Like a spitting lightsaber blade through the chest, she realized that to everyone else, Ben was still Kylo Ren. She was the only one that knew the truth; that Ben Solo was a hero.

And that knowledge would die with her. 

Refusing to relinquish her grasp on life, she fought on. Not for herself anymore but for Ben. Rey didn't even know if he was still alive, but more than anything Rey needed Ben's name to be cleared.

She fought on for what felt like an eternity, but as each freezing second ticked by her strength waned.

As he slowly faded from her mind, so did the last sliver of warmth.

Everything went silent. 

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Several moments passed with nothing.

Then, the force began to buzz through Rey's veins, tickling her until she wanted to squirm.

The sudden sensation brought back some energy, but not enough to allow her to move.

Her limbs were heavy and she was just too tired to even try.

The vibrating energy concentrated in her stomach, buzzing more and more intensely as more force built up. Just when she felt like she would throw up, it stopped and the buzzing was replaced by the warmth of a hand. 

A big hand.

Instantly, the weight lifted from her body and her icy hand shot to his. Electricity danced between their skin and she was brought back to the night in Ach To- the night her skin first made contact with his. 

She sat up, drinking in his bruised face, his bloodshot eyes, and his trembling lip.

His eyes met hers… the same eyes that always met hers, no matter how angry hers might have been, with a tenderness.

The intimacy crackled in the air, the intimacy reserved only for them.

It was in that split second the reality of what he did came crashing in; he force healed Rey.

She knew first hand how painful force healing could be. Rey was overwhelmed with warmth.

Ben Solo had fully returned, and Rey knew that she was in love.

His pupils were dark and dilated, fixated on her face.

Rey’s gaze flitted down to his lips and in a moment of emotional impulse, she pressed her lips against his.


	3. Chapter 3

He saw it in her eyes; the hope that everything would finally be okay. That they could finally have a future together, and a family. Ben allowed himself a moment to imagine that future.

He would wake up, holding her in his arms. They'd never have to be alone ever again. The cat-and-mouse game between them, and the constant denial of their shared affections would be no more.

The prospect of such a beautiful future being torn apart from him would've broken his heart had he not been so relieved to see her alive.

He could feel his body growing weaker by the minute, but he chose to instead focus on that peculiar way Rey was studying his face.

Resolution filled her gaze, and after a moment's hesitation, she began to lean towards him. Her lips met his, firmly, passionately, and full of all the charged emotion that had been present between them since their first meeting on Takodona. His hand went to the base of her neck, and he poured every feeling of his for her into that kiss.

He savored her sweetness, and the way she pressed so tenderly while still being firm and even dominant. Ben used his last ounce of strength to reach out with the force one final time, and listen to what her force sang to him. He felt all of her hope, her joy at the prospects of a life with him and... a feeling he hadn't felt since he was a child.

He felt her love, all directed at him, overflowing through their bond. All of the unspoken confessions and apologies passed through that kiss, and even though it was brief, Ben knew without a shadow of a doubt that he'd made the right choice.

It may have not been fair; a moment of joy after a lifetime of pain, but to him, everything was worth it. She pulled back and smiled shyly up at him.

To him, she was the most perfect being in the galaxy. He stared at her, stunned by her strength and her beauty. Hope emanated from her force signature like a heartbeat.

Breathing was becoming harder, but he tried to hide it as best he could. Despite his knowledge of his approaching fate, he grinned.

The feeling was foreign to him, but he was giddy. His heart was so full, he needed to laugh just to release some of it. The warmth filled his belly and seemed to flow through his veins.

For that one moment, he could just be Ben Solo- a boy who had just kissed the girl he loved.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow it's kinda been a crazy year so far, huh? Welp idk May the 4th came and went and I've found myself crying about TROS today (specifically Ben :( ) so I remembered this and wanted to write another chapter!! I hope everyone is staying safe!!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! So this may be a one-shot, I haven't decided yet, but I do have a few ideas for how to continue, because I really wanna make a happy-ish ending to this while still staying in cannon. I'm having difficulty wrapping my mind around TROS, so this is my way of sorting out my thoughts. I also am still learning how to format lol.


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